The Tailgate Preview: Buffalo vs Robert Morris

For years The Pregame Meal was a staple of football week here at Bull Run. I can’t replicate that, so this is The Tailgate.

Jello Shots: 100 Words

If RMU threatens in this game, it’s going to be a long season in Amherst. The Colonials have gone 2-9 each of the last three seasons, lost a senior quarterback to graduation heading into 2019, and have been picked seventh in the NEC preseason poll. This group is not close to the Duquesne team that gave UB a scare a few years ago and the situation is right for a Bulls group that needs a whole bunch of new starters to jell by late September if they want to be bowl eligible. Win, win big, and have fun doing it.

Actual Analysis: (Returning) Statistical Leaders

Passing: RMU QB George Martin 18-35-1/225/2

UB QB Matt Myers 0-0-0/0/0

Receiving: RMU TE Matthew Gonzalez 40/642/12

UB WR Antonio Nunn 11/142/1

Rushing: UB RB Jaret Patterson 174/1027/14

RMU RB Teren Stephens 169/831/4

*Note: Nunn is injured and will likely not play this week

Song of the Week

Robert Morris: From Pittsburgh. The Clarks: Also from Pittsburgh. Football: From Jersey (ew), but back.

Beat What You Eat

Neither “Eat a Colonial” nor “Eat a Robert Morris” turned up much (shockingly), but hell, it’s an early start to Labor Day weekend. Grill up some corn to eat like the colonial settlers, and be glad that we’ve had 300+ years of practice breeding that corn into something a little more palatable than wild maize. I’m not linking a recipe, because literally just put the corn over the fire for a while.

Also, we’re obviously not in Pittsburgh for this one, but you could make your own Smiley Cookie a la Eat N Park

Drink!

It’s Bobby Mo, it’s a Thursday, it’s the beginning of a holiday weekend. No need to blow out the fuses this early. If I were in town, I would grab a pack of Low Bridge from Big Ditch and ease into tailgating season before the cold mornings of conference play require something a little stronger later in the year.

Three to Watch

The Offensive Line - With so many new faces in the two-deep this season, the offensive line and run game are two spots we’re reasonably confident in going in. There’s a lot of experience in this group, and Mike Novitsky must have turned some heads to lock down the starting center spot as a redshirt freshman. The run game is going to need to carry the load for this team this year, and we should see a dominating performance in the trench to start the season against a bad FCS team.

Matt Myers - I’m not sure how much we’ll see from the passing offense tomorrow, but you don’t move from seven years of Joe Licata and Tyree Jackson to a redshirt freshman without putting some scrutiny on the man behind center. It doesn’t help that Myers was only named the starter in the last week or so.

Special Teams - Any improvement over the “standard” of the last few years would be more than welcome, and frankly, we’re not optimistic at Bull Run HQ. Once again, there’s an OR in the the kicker two-deep, and if you’re not accounting for a missed kick somewhere in your BRuWPeG picks, you must be new here. Here’s hoping that every game (quarter? drive?) without a special teams gaffe doesn’t feel like we’re playing with fire.

How to Watch

Go to the Stadium! Or watch on ESPN+, perhaps with the Hulu/Disney+ bundle (I’m told Ewan McGregor is coming back as Obi Wan Kenobi and that’s A Big Deal). Or on AM 1520/TuneIn, if you just really don’t want to look at Bobby Mo (I wouldn’t blame you).

Edit: Apparently the Hulu/Disney/ESPN bundle doesn’t kick in until 11/12.